Using Improv To Improve Teams In The Workplace

The best thing about improv as a tool for improvement in the workplace, is the small time commitment.

Many businesses are cutting back on training and team away days due to the difficult financial climate.

How can businesses continue to thrive or to improve without giving employees some time away from their day-to-day duties?

My solution would be to integrate some improvisational games into the business week. It could be ten minutes a day or half an hour a week ... whatever works. Anything less frequent than once a week might not be beneficial as people are likely to find it hard to progress with the skills.

There is a lot of research out there to say that employees who spend time getting to know each other and having fun together will work more cohesively and productively. That sounds like common sense to me! A bunch of miserable strangers isn't an ideal team after all!

So how can you incorporate a little of the spirit of improv? I would suggest some of the games that allow people to be silly and goofy. Give people the opportunity to be carefree, at least for the duration of these games. If we can learn to look like fools in front of each other, we can feel more comfortable with making mistakes in our work and more importantly, owning up to these mistakes. Remember: improv teaches us to take risks and to experiment. Ultimately, improv is a tool that can enhance creativity and innovation in the workplace.

So whether or not your team is stuck in a rut, try adopting some improv games...